Wonderbra Vs. Super-uplift

June 1, 1994|By Dallas Morning News

All push-up bras work on the same principle. Instead of lifting and separating, they lift and push together, using a combination of wires, straps, elastic and cat's-eye-shaped fiberfill pads nicknamed ''cookies.''

Although the Wonderbra looks like most any nonpedigreed push-up bra, the folks at Sara Lee Intimates assure it is not. The chief difference, they say, is the Wonderbra's ''unique 54-piece construction'' - that's about twice the number of pieces that go into an ''ordinary'' bra. The approximate retail price for this complex marvel of lace and nylon engineering: $24.

The Super-Uplift from Gossard uses fewer pieces (total count: 46), but requires additional sewing steps, which raises the price to $39.50. Like the Wonderbra, it features removable cookies, and a special ''gate-back'' fastening designed to ''anchor the back down and help push the front up.'' Other signature features in the patented ''miracle system'' include diagonally angled cups and extra firm wires that are positioned lower in the middle and higher on the sides, the better to push the breasts up and together.